Refers to a very small piece of matter, such as a grain of sand, a dust particle, or a subatomic particle. Used in both everyday and scientific contexts.
Many tiny particles are floating in the air.
This sand has fine grains.
The rock weathers into a particulate form.
This device detects tiny particles.
High-energy particles collide.
This powder has very fine particles.
粒子 is the general, everyday term for a small particle, whereas 分子 in this sense is a rarer, more technical word that also specifically means molecule.
分子 (molecule) refers specifically to a group of bonded atoms, whereas 粒子 (particle) is a broader term that can also mean dust, grains, or subatomic particles.
原子 (atom) is the basic unit of an element, while 粒子 (particle) is a more general term covering atoms, dust, and other tiny bits of matter.
粒子 is the general term for any particle, while 素粒子 specifically refers to a fundamental, indivisible particle like a quark or electron.
粒 is the natural counter for individual grains or particles, as in 砂粒一粒 (one grain of sand).
From Middle Chinese 粒子 (liX tsiX, 'grain, particle'). The kanji 粒 means 'grain' or 'drop', and 子 is a nominal suffix. The reading りゅうし is the Sino-Japanese on'yomi.
lepton
baryon
tau particle; tauon; tau lepton